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Diet critical to maintaining health in old age, New York Times asserts 2010-01-14 Diet is essential to staying healthy, the New York Times reported this week - especially among older people. The Times article describes the ideal diet as one that is heavy in vegetables, whole grains and fish but light on meat and poultry. Often referred to as a "Mediterranean diet," it's the provenance of people in Mediterranean nations. Residents of southern Europe have some of the world's longest life expectancies and are some of the happiest people, and diet is likely to play a role in both their lifespan and reported contentment. "The Mediterranean diet does not come in a pill or potion," the Times cautions. People must eat healthy foods to reap their rewards, which, in the Mediterranean diet's case, include lower rates of heart disease and Alzheimer's. Heart disease is the nation's number one cause of death; Alzheimer's will strike 47 percent of people who live to 85, the Alzheimer's Association says. Some supplements may help bolster health in older people: Vitamin D and calcium supplements have manifold benefits. Regular exercise is important in maintaining health, too. "Even people already afflicted with chronic ailments can reap significant health benefits from exercise," the Times reports.  |
